This weekend we will welcome former
members of Forest Park Baptist Church as they hold a reunion on the grounds
adjacent to Forest Park Ministry Center.
We are so grateful for the foresight of this body of Christ to provide
the facility for the ministry center, to help support the ministries there
through the years, and most recently, to fund with the proceeds from the sale
of their church building so many much needed improvements to the ministry
center building. We hope that, as they
tour the center on Saturday, each person will be assured that their investment
in the center is indeed an eternal investment in missions that will grow God’s
Kingdom.
Speaking of
growing God’s Kingdom, it was a joy and privilege to witness the dedication of
a precious toddler by his mother as he was presented to the church on Mother’s
Day, just two weeks after she professed her faith in Christ and was baptized
before that same body. As she continues
to be mentored through ministries at the center and discipled through Bible
study in her church, I marvel at her spiritual growth.
This
summer, two young college women with a passion for the Lord and for missions
have joined us as Summer Missionaries.
Charlotte Walker from Autauga County, a student at Mississippi College
in Clinton, MS, and Jordan Holley from Montgomery, a student at AUM, will be
assisting both at Forest Park Ministry Center and at Community of Hope with
child care, children’s Bible study and literacy events, sports outreach events and Backyard Bible
Clubs. They have a very full summer
ahead, and are pumped about it! Several
churches have asked them to share on Wednesday nights with their youth about
missions opportunities at Forest Park, but there are a couple of Wednesdays
still available. If you would like them
to share with a group at your church, please call us at the center 269-5726 on
Monday or Wednesday morning (they will be “out and about” doing ministry
otherwise!) so that we can schedule it.
Please
continue to pray for the guests who visit the ministry center. As the summer progresses, numbers of guests
increase, and especially while children are out of school and reduced / free
lunches not available, food shortage is even more dire than at other times. In May, we saw over 130 families, helping about
350 family members, distributing nearly two tons of food. The M&M’s Bible Café, a Bible study for
young moms and mentors, continues each week and many more literacy, sports, and
outreach events have been planned and are being implemented for the summer. Stay tuned for details about the summer, and
for details about a Fall Open House so that everyone can see the growth and
progress happening here!
